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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29508663">Worlds Apart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AchlysMiseria/pseuds/AchlysMiseria'>AchlysMiseria</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>=Pain, Love Music, Regrets= [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Music, Musical References, References to Ancient Greek Religion &amp; Lore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:26:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,931</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29508663</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AchlysMiseria/pseuds/AchlysMiseria</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Perseus, a young aspiring rock star moves to a new state and city. Fortunately for him, he made new friends and formed a band with them, making a good start on his journey for his lifelong dream. Then he meets a girl who has turned his whole world upside down, making him have mixed feelings towards her. It all went downhill when he found out a little secret of hers that could explain all the hate and secrets their school had kept. Instead of breaking their bond, he falls hopelessly in love with her, making it harder for him to decide whether to choose between loving her or pursuing his dream. Will he get to be the performer he wants to be? Will l  falling in love be the greatest mistake of his life?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>=Pain, Love Music, Regrets= [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2167650</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. =I Visit a Palace=</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! I just want to say thank you for choosing to read this. This is the first book of my original series, =Pain, Love, Music, Regrets= and I hope you'll enjoy it. Also, if you didn't read the tags, I advise you to not read this if you get uncomfortable easily because it has some graphic scenes and you might not feel comfortable about it. Again, thank you so much!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>I waited outside of the school for Kassandra. The entrance doors flew open which made me flinch but it was only Nick and Xavier, both their arms around each other's shoulders like they just got out of a bar or something. They had wide grins on their faces and when they saw me, it got even wider if that was possible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Hey, Perce," Nick nodded. "What are you doing here?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I'm waiting for Kassandra," I answered. "I just want to know: Does she, like, have some issues with me?" I remembered how she treated me at the first few minutes in Lit class then all that bitterness melted away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Nah, dude," Xavier placed his hand on my shoulder for reassurance. "You're just new. Kassandra can be possessive of things like friends and whatnot. We told you, she's got this rep here that made her have trust issues with new people we meet." Suddenly, that made Nick laugh. "You remember that time when she looked like she was about to take someone's eye out for trying to ask Morph out?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "She did?" My eyes widened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Oh, yeah. Very much. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>don't want her to get angry."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Yeah, about that—" I was cut-off when I saw Kassandra got out of the building. This time, she had a book in hand and her hair was tied into a ponytail. She skipped a few steps of the stairs and jumped off, making Nick catch her so she won't stumble in the process. They greeted each other and then she faced me, smiling ear to ear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I hope you don't mind if we do this in your place," she removed the tie depriving her hair, "or should we do it somewhere else?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Er," I looked at my bandmates for them to choose but they just gave me thumbs up. "My house is better," I finally answered. Kassandra's smile didn't waver and nodded. She waved goodbye to our friends and they waved back with pleased smiles on their faces.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Walking to my house with a girl has always been awkward to me. I have brought a few girls to my place before for schoolwork but that was just it. In the corner of my eye, the light from Kassandra's phone illuminates her face, making her look ghostly pale but her eyes just glinting with a weird light. She would brush a few stray strands of her hair behind her ear or she would blow them out of her face. If they wouldn't, she would pout and use her hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Like what you see?" She teased, not looking away from her phone. A slight blush crept on my face and when she did face me, I had to look away from her. I could feel my face heat up even more. She starts giggling and places her hand on my cheek, making me face her. "What's to be embarrassed about? I don't bite."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "It's not that?" That came out wrong. "I mean, it isn't that. I'm not embarrassed."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Sure thing, Perseus," she scoffed and returned to her phone. I sighed in relief. At least she's warming up to me and we don't have to be extra careful.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When we got to my house, I had to look through the window to see if my brother, Eric, was home. I sighed in relief when I saw that the lights were off. When we got in, Kassandra studied the place and sat on the couch, looking comfortable. Just by observing her, you could see she had the posture of what old people wanted from their grandkids (or at least mine often looks for it in me); looking elegant or noble. She sat up straight, chest out, chin up and legs crossed. I mean, she is English so why did it surprise me? I snapped out of my random thoughts and asked, "Do you want anything to eat? Drink?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I don't think I should bother," she said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Nah," I turned on the lights in the kitchen. "It's fine. Water or soda?" She still looked hesitant but she replied, "I would like a soda."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "How about a bag of chips on the side?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Sure thing." She brought out a few notebooks from her bag and pads of paper. When I remembered the task at hand, I went into the kitchen to grab two cans of root beer and some snacks. It's not healthy, I know but it helps you unwind especially if you're going to do some homework.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Entering the living room again, Kassandra had her phone out, playing music. With a wide smile on my face, I placed our snacks on the coffee table and watched her work.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Burning of the Midnight Lamp</span>
  </em>
  <span>," I said while listening to the song. "Jimi Hendrix."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Kassandra smiled at me but looked back on the piece of paper she's writing on. "I thought it would be nice to listen to while we work. Or it's just me since I love working with relaxing music."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Well, you have great taste. But you should also listen to his live performances. He alters all of his songs and they are just </span>
  <em>
    <span>amazing.</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You're a fan," she concluded. "I mean, it could've been obvious because of the hair, but there are Slash from Guns N' Roses or Brian May from Queen."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        I was surprised about the words she's just blurting out. "You're something," I said. She stared at me, a bit confused and asked, "What do you mean?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Well, remove the Nirvana pin on your bag or that gloomy look on your face, you look like a nerd. Well, not really. I have nothing against nerds but you like reading. And I saw you writing in Greek on your notebook in Lit—"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You saw me writing?" She dropped her book, smirking. I paused and cringed internally and reluctantly nodded to her question. Why did I have to talk? Kassandra then started laughing and shook her head. "You're pretty observant. I'm a bit miffed since you have no right to have your eyes wandering off."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        I wanted to say, </span>
  <em>
    <span>If you weren't somehow attractive then it wouldn't, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but I bit my tongue. Instead, I said, "I just get bored."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Oh, please," she rolled her eyes and picked up her pad of paper. "What could possibly make you stultify while you're practically having someone tell you about the Latin myths?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "That's exactly what makes it… stultifying?" I cringe at my choice of words. "Anyway, about the homework?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Enthusiasm shone in her gray eyes and I don't know if it made me glad she knew what to do or scared because of what she had possibly in mind. Kassandra flipped the pages on her book and then stopped at a particular part. There were two pictures shown: the first was a guy holding a small, four-stringed harp. He had tan skin, he looked a little thin and was short in stature. With unruly brown hair that is close to mine and golden brown eyes that were sad and distant. The other picture showed a woman with hair as black as night and was tied into a bun, brown eyes, and a beautiful face that emits, even through a picture, pain, and regret. From the waist up, she was a solid human being but from the waist down, she looked like she's slowly fading away from existence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Who are they?" I faced Kassandra. She also had the same expression as the guy in the book; pained and hurt. When she was snapped back to reality, she smiled and pointed the end of her pen to the first picture. "That's Orpheus. He was a boy in Thrace, an ancient Greek city. Now in modern times, they reduced it to a geographical term in Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You sound a little angry about it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        She scoffed and muttered, "Who wouldn't? The last time I checked, Ephyra is reduced to history and legend. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No one</span>
  </em>
  <span> could seem to find the entrance to the hidden temple." She sighed and closed her eyes, mouthing numbers one to five and she tapped her pencil on the page. "Anyway, he was a young musician. His father is a soldier named Oeagrus and his mother is one of the Nine Muses, Greek goddesses of the arts. Calliope is the Muse of Epic Poetry."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Who's the girl on the other page then?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "That's Eurydice, his wife. Before they met, Orpheus was a child that had been berated by his father since he couldn't wield a sword. Then one day, he found out that music can be his defense. Growing up, that's the only thing he pursued. No women, fights, or anything that could distract him from playing. Apollo, God of Music, gave him a lyre, a small harp with four strings to easily describe it. Orpheus was considered the greatest musician in ancient times."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "How exactly?" I rest my chin on my palm, a bit interested in what I'm learning. Kassandra smiled and replied, "He could move crowds. Like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>literally</span>
  </em>
  <span> move them. They would be in a daze when they hear his song, follow him wherever he goes just to hear him. Not only that! Animals are also affected. Predators don't dare try to maul him, birds would perch on trees to listen, and even flowers grow at every strum of his lyre."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        " Woah, wait," I raised my hand. "Flowers?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Yes! He's that great! Trees would get out of the soil and scuttle their way to him, rocks would roll down to hear him sing and play."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        I gave that a thought. A musician so great, they can move </span>
  <em>
    <span>any </span>
  </em>
  <span>audience. To have such talent is baffling but also kind of great. But I also learned that most mythological heroes don't have fortunate endings so I turned back to Kassandra and asked, "His wife? What happened to her?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Oh," she brushed her hair with her fingers, looking a little agitated. "They got married after Orpheus had joined the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Quest for the Golden Fleece; </span>
  </em>
  <span>that's a different story. A few weeks or months passed, Eurydice got bitten by a snake and died. Poor Orpheus tried to revive her by singing to no avail. When he was in grief, his whole world was grieving because of the music he would play. Cities mourned, rain was nonstop, bears would stay in their caves and sulk. Even the Olympians were affected by it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Wow," I scoffed. I could've laughed but Kassandra looked a little… heartbroken. I cleared my throat. "Please continue."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Orpheus then decided to do something reckless. He told himself he would get his wife back from the Underworld."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You mean Hades's place?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Of course. Who do you think owns that domain? Zeus?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I was just making sure."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        She cleared her throat and flipped a few pages from her book. "Orpheus headed down the dark world as he sang. Even the ghosts, the ghouls, the Furies, Charon the ferryman cried their eyes out. When he reached Hades, he continued singing, making the god tear up."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Gods can cry?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "They said. Some legends did say that the Lord of the Underworld cried tears of silver. But what would you expect? Their blood is ichor, it's gold in colour. Anyway, Hades agreed to let him have his wife back on </span>
  <em>
    <span>one </span>
  </em>
  <span>condition."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "This is where it all goes down," I guessed. Kassandra my shoulders raised indifferently and continued, "The condition was that Eurydice would walk behind him. He shouldn't look back to check if she was following him. Orpheus agreed and then retraced his steps back to the Mortal World."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Did he look back?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Of course he did," she said like it was obvious it was going to happen. "Greeks were the inventors of tragedy. They like those 'They live, they have rough lives, they die painfully' concepts. But that's not what's important here: He looked back because his fatal flaw is doubt. He doubts himself and thinks that he couldn't do anything. He doubted that Hades would keep his word that he would let Eurydice out of the Underworld or that she was following him, so it made him turn."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        I sucked my teeth, trying to swallow her words. In the back of my mind, I thought that why should everything be so depressing and involve death? We're talking about musicians who could wrap the whole world around his finger with his music. They just had to put dying wives and crying gods. Now that I think about it, it's not that bad. The dying part was and the fact he couldn't save her when he was given his second chance. I raised my hand for Kassandra to see and asked, "That's it, right? He'll just live in despair his whole life until he dies?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        She chuckled a bit like this was all funny and faced me. "He can't die."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "What do you mean?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Well, you see, he could control nature itself with his voice and a strum of his lyre. But there are times that the very Earth, or possibly his whole world, is preventing him from dying. He made many attempts to just fall off cliffs, smash his head with a rock, and run with vicious animals but what's the point? When Orpheus falls, the wind takes him and gently lands him on the ground, the rocks crumble to dust, and the animals nuzzle with him, knowing that he is a blessing and isn't something they could devour." She gave a short pause and then let out a small laugh. "You would never think of it at first, but what if it happened to you? You're a young, famous musician who had found love and lost it in a snap of a finger. When you were given the chance to bring them back, you failed and on a happy note, you can't join them because you're not allowed to—." She cut her own words and looked at me, now showing a little sympathy. I don't know what I look like at the time but she smiled at me. It wasn't mischievous or evil. It was just a warm smile from her and then she brushed her fingers on my cheek, making me feel a little better and somehow forgetting the thought. She faced the coffee table again and muttered, "That would never happen to you. I'll make sure of it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "What?" I asked her to repeat what she just said but she just turned to me and smiled. Should I be creeped out or something? I honestly don't know but I felt more assured than I should be.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of doing whatever we needed to do, Kassandra claimed that explaining the story is enough for today and we can just slack off for now. I was eating my bag of chips while Kassandra inspected the place once more and saw the table beside the TV. She picked one of the pictures on it and walked over to me, sitting right at my side. "You have a brother?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Oh, yeah," I leaned over to her. "His name is Eric."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Are you both close?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        It took me a while to answer and in the end, I replied, "We used to be."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Kassandra probably saw the look on my face and changed the topic. "It must be nice to at least know what it feels like to be part of a family."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Why?" I raised an eyebrow. "You don't have any siblings? Or parents?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I had no one," she set the picture frame on the coffee table. "I was left on this Earth all on my own."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I'm sorry," I said before I could cut my tongue. For someone who had lost a lot of people in my life, I know that saying sorry is stupid, but Kassandra just ignored it and faced me. Seriously, even if a thought in me is telling me that this girl in front of me is trouble, I can't help but think otherwise. We broke eye contact and our hands accidentally brushed against one another. "Sorry," I quickly took my hand away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Don't be," she looks away. "I must look stupid right now."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Not as stupid as me," I joked. Thankfully, she laughed and I joined her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After that, we cleaned up and I walked with her to the bus stop. "You sure I can't come with you?" I asked again after how many attempts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I'm sure," she said confidently. "Besides, it's a really long way to Raleigh."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You live in Raleigh? That's like a six-hour drive. Are you sure I can't come with you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "And have you back here in Asheville after another three or six hours? No, Perseus. I'm fine, seriously."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        A bit unconvinced, I sighed in defeat and raised my hands. "You win," I smiled. "But you do have people to text when you get home, right?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Perseus, wait 'till you're older and you can say the same to your children," she rolled her eyes. Kassandra unzipped her jacket and showed me something shiny slipped in the hem of her skirt. She took it out and it made me take a step back. She held a silver knife with a hilt made of gold studded with colorful gems and stones. She swung it a bit and handed me the hilt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You bring a knife with you?" I asked her, examining the blade. She took it back from me and looked through the metal like it was a mirror and said, "This is called a dagger. A Spartan dagger. I do bring this with me just in case someone tries anything to me."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "That has nothing against a gun."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        She looked scarier with a knife than how she looked at me this morning. Her eyes were filled with contempt and something I couldn't place but she smiled, or more like smirked, evilly. "You never know," she sheathed her dagger in the scabbard and the bus arrived. Before boarding it, she looked back at me and said, "Good night, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Phrixus</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next day, I was at school, walking down the hall until someone grabbed me by the arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Hey, Perce," Michael grinned. "How was your evening?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Good," I tried not to make it sound like a question. "Hey, Mike, I wanna ask you about Kassandra."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Don't tell me she did something to scare you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Well, she did show me a dagger last night and I'm not sure if I should feel threatened or okay about it since you know how dangerous it is for girls or women when they travel at night."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Oh that," he laughed but it sounded a little forced. "Yeah, she carries that for self-defense. She even has a sword back at her house."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "A what?" Suddenly, someone from behind thought it was a good idea to ruffle my hair. I slapped their hand away and found Nick, laughing. "Sorry," he chuckled. "You don't like anyone touching your pretty curls?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "No, I don't." I sighed. Xavier and Morpheus were talking to each other with a poster in hand and then they went to us. With a big smile on his face, Xavier said, "The Battle of the Bands is coming up."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Oh, sweet!" Michael snatched the poster. "It's in three months though. I mean, that's a lot of time to get ready, decide what songs to play and stuff."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Yeah," I agreed. "But where should we practice?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "That wouldn't be a problem," someone said behind us. We turned to see Kassandra in the same jacket and black backpack but she had her hair tied into a messy bun. Her face still had no trace of makeup and she wore no jewelry except for the ring in her hand. She strode to Morpheus's side and took a look at the poster. "November is a long way from today so I guess you all could stop by. Just for the weekend."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Michael whooped and grabbed her by the waist, picking her up from the ground and they started spinning around. "Thank you, Kassandra!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Put me down, Carter!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Once he set her down, Kassandra stood unsteadily and I caught her before she could trip. "You okay?" I asked her. In response, she groaned and muttered something in a different language.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "We know you can speak Latin, Kass," Morph said nonchalantly, "but it doesn't make a difference if you cursed in English either."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Εpitrépste mou na diaskedáso, Géros,</span>
  </em>
  <span>" she rolled her eyes. Xavier rolled his eyes and flicked his finger in the middle of her forehead, making her whine in pain. "Hey!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Don't be so whiny, Kass-Kass," he pinched her cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I'm </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>whiny."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You switch to Greek when you're in a bad mood or just being whiny."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "No, I don't," she stuck her tongue out. "Besides, if I was, it wouldn't be entirely my fault since you boys are annoying."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "We love you too, Kassandra," Michael teased. A blush crept onto her cheeks then she quickly whipped her head to the side. She went over to her locker and grabbed a stack of books. Facing us, she still looked flustered, she announced, "See you this weekend. Bring your clothes and wake up at around five in the morning or something." With that, she left. I raised an eyebrow when she told us what time we should wake up. I looked at my bandmates for an explanation and Nick placed his hand on my head, being the tall guy he is.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You know how far Raleigh is, right?" He said. "Besides, we'll get our sleep again when we get to her place."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        The bell rang and we knew we were already late. Running to class, I figured that today won't be as exciting.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Saturday came and I woke up when the sky was still dark. I hate waking up like this. After a quick shower and dressing up in a navy blue shirt and a pair of denim pants. As I was having trouble brushing my hair, I heard a knock on the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Come in," I called to see Eric pop his head in. He looked tired from the shifts he had in the hospital the past few days so I tried to be a little nice to him. "Yeah?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You have friends waiting for you downstairs."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Friends?" I raised an eyebrow. After dealing with that one part of my hair that wouldn't stop sticking up, I grabbed my jacket and backpack from my bed and ran down the stairs to find Morph sitting on the couch playing Super Mario on his Gameboy, beside him was Nick trying not to doze off, on the other couch sat Xavier who held a book in his hand while he had earphones on and Michael was trying to annoy him. When Morpheus saw me, he stopped and nudged Nick. "Hey," he greeted. I waved in return and the others were pretty worked up now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Kass said that we just have to wait for a few more minutes," Xavier checked his watch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Why?" I sat between Nick and Morpheus. "She's got a car or something?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Just then, as if on cue, we hear the doorbell rang. I was the one that got up to open and found a tall man with a hat and uniform. He tilted his hat as he greeted and then my bandmates went over to me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Hey, Fred!" Michael practically yelled. I had to hit him on the arm and he rubbed the spot. "Sorry," he muttered and returned to the guy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Are we ready to leave?" The man asked with a heavy British accent. The chauffeur stepped aside to reveal a black limousine and my jaw dropped. My friends didn't mind and they marched to it like they were the ones who owned the vehicle. Inside was luxurious with the black leather seats and snacks beside the mini television. There was a lot of legroom and we sat comfortably even if we were squeezed together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        The chauffeur, Frederick, lowered the window in front of us and said, "The Mistress said you will be immediately shown to your rooms when we arrive." The car started moving and my eyes glazed over, sleep overcoming my senses.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Waking up, I could see the sun shining on a summer's day. Wait, I thought. Wasn't I in a car a few minutes ago? I sat up and found myself in a field of grass. "Where am I?" I muttered to myself. Standing up, I tried to balance myself but fell back to the ground. My vision spun and I couldn't comprehend why. I tried again and this time, I succeeded to stand straight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Hello," a melancholic voice greeted. I turned to find a woman with skin so pale it was almost as white as chalk. Her face had scars and from her eyes down to her cheeks, it's like her tears had left red traces; it isn't blood but more like deeper wounds. Her clothes were tattered and stained with dark reddish blotches which I figured would be dried blood. Staring at her made me feel things I don't normally think of, like dying. Why had I never thought of that? It was probably best if I did. In the back of my eyes, a stinging pain spread around my head and I winced. The lady looked even more gloomy if it was possible. "Hello, Perseus Moore. It is nice to finally meet you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "What?" I massaged my temple. "Who are you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Her blue lips curled into a small smile and said, "Have you pushed me in the back of your mind that I am foreign to you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Lady, I have no idea what you are talking about."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Perseus, dear, I am Oizys. Some people know me as Depression."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        I slightly cock my head to the side. "Depression's a woman?" That made her frown so I quickly said, "Not that I expected her to be a male! I just didn't think a feeling or state of being would be personified."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Of course not," she sounded a bit offended. "A minor goddess doesn't pass anyone's mind."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Why are you here?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Oh, just the same thing I do to everyone," Oizys' voice echoed. "I enjoy lingering in people's minds and eventually, I overcome your sense of thinking and we'll… you know what happens. You are a strong one, Perseus Moore but there will be things that will lead you astray. Like the pain in your heart." With one wave of her hand, the field shifted into something else. The sky turned dark, the grass turned into asphalt and I could hear the sound of sirens wailing in the distance. Oizys stood where she was but her eyes were pointing to something behind me. I turned and my heart turned to lead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "What's it like to relive the moment your mother died?" She whispered raspily into my ear. "Not only am I Depression, Perseus, but I am also Grief. Beautiful Grief. A being that will forever haunt you." She vanished into thin air and the only thing left was the sounds of the fire crackling from the turned-over car. I yelled for my mother under the vehicle and when I touched the metal, my hand burned so much, it felt like I directly touched the sun. Before I knew it, I woke with a start.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Gasping for air, I looked around and found myself in the limousine. My friends were sound asleep except for Nick who was right beside me. When I faced him, he was smiling but that disappeared when he read the expression on my face. "You cool?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Yeah," I lied. "I'm fine."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You don't look… fine. It looks like you'd just seen a ghost?" I winced at the comment and he saw that, making him regret his words. "Sorry," he looked at the window.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Nah, it's okay. It was just a stupid nightmare." I waved him off and looked at the same window and found that we were right in front of gates painted in gold. My mouth gaped. The window for the driver rolled down. Frederick smiled at us and said, "Welcome back to the Cyrillus Manor." The golden gates opened and what stood in the middle of a huge acre of land was an even bigger white colonial building that resembled a mini Parthenon and they made it into a castle instead of a shrine with the pillars and everything. That's probably what those ancient Greek dudes thought of the palaces and buildings on Olympus looked like. The limo stopped at the entrance which was too tall for anyone and they automatically opened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Well," Nick nudged me. "Isn't it a sight?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Yeah," I replied, awe laced in my voice as I stared at the doors. "A real sight." We grabbed our bags and walked inside for more surprises waiting for us.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. =My First Day at a New School=</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Honestly, I don't know how to start this. Maybe I should start by introducing myself. Or maybe talk about myself? I don't know. There's nothing special about me. My name is Perseus Alexander Moore. I'm an eighteen-year-old guy in his twelfth year. I'm not someone who is distinctive in a group; I'm not famous or rich or smart. I'm just those guys you normally see in school except I don't exactly go as 'normal' since my hair is styled in an afro which makes it easy to distinguish in a group of people. This is the start of how I made the greatest mistake of my life.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Today, I will be going to a new school. It has been arranged since I moved into my older brother's place after a big incident I have to live with my life. After getting ready for the day, I go downstairs for breakfast. The smell of pancakes and bacon filled the air but my nose scrunched up. Not because of the food but because of who's right in front of me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Eric Ulysses Moore, my big brother. He's a successful hematologist oncologist here in this small city of Asheville, North Carolina. He's got the same curly brown locks as mine except it's not long or styled informally. We both look somewhat alike but, since he's blessed with our dad's genes, who is a tall man, I was told he was taller than me when he was my age. While my brother cooked breakfast and I'm standing at the kitchen door, I felt like I should just tiptoe out of there but he turned and saw me. "Good morning, Perseus," he greeted with a smile. "Had a good night's sleep?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Yeah," I blandly replied. "I also have to go. I might be running late."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "School doesn't start at seven-thirty. Eat something first."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I'm not hungry," I said but of course, he wouldn't take no for an answer. He served a plate and pointed his eyes to the vacant chair, gesturing I should sit down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Look," my voice was leveled. "I don't want to deal with you right now. I have to get going."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Perseus," he called back. I ignored him and ran out the door. I brought out my earphones and plugged them in my ears, momentarily escaping from this hell called reality. I grabbed my skateboard and I glided through the busy streets.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Normally, my mom would kill me if I did this. My mind being preoccupied with the music playing, words popping up in my head for lyrics, guitar chords I could possibly use for a song I'm writing while I pass busy streets and not looking at where I'm going will definitely make her want my head. The trip was really quick if you include the many times I had to go through huge groups of bustling people. I reached the gates of the school and I was somehow —what's the appropriate word— disappointed. Right in front of me could have been a grand building only, the gate alone is covered in graffiti and the paint is tearing off, the building itself looks like it's about to collapse, given a few years. Students filed into the entrance and it gave me second thoughts. What if I just skipped school today? I thought it would be nice. I could just go home and go back to sleep but then, I have to deal with Eric. And to think of the possible scenarios when I enter these gates: probably new friends, or more jerks who are looking for trouble. I swallowed the anxiousness and the excitement growing in me and I walked in.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Entering the building, I felt like I was a kitten that trespassed a lions' den. In the hallway, everyone would turn their head to me and I did my best to stay passive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Luckily, when I got enrolled here, they gave me my schedule and the room numbers so I didn't have to ask around. I reached the room for my first class, which is Conservatory of Music. Then I noticed there was this note taped on the glass window of the door. It said: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Class will be in the Music Room</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I raised an eyebrow. Music Room, I thought. I looked down at the paper I had in my hand and scanned it. It didn't have any directions for the room. I buried the annoyance that's building up in me and looked around just in case no one could see how stupid I look and with my luck, I found three guys walking in my direction. The guy on the right had copper-red hair, freckles across his cheeks and nose, and a mischievous grin on his face and is probably one of the people I will never trust my life with when handling matches or sharp objects. The one on the middle had emo/scene slick black hair and it was long on one side so it hid his face. He looked reserved at first glance since he had his head lowered and even if his friend on the right had his arm locked on his neck, he didn't complain. The one on the left took me aback. I was looking at a much younger clone of Brandon Routh when he played Clark Kent or Superman. He's this tall guy with glasses, shiny black hair swept to the side, and a jacket. His facial features are almost perfect and I don't think his face is familiar to acne or a single pimple. The guy on the right saw me. His hazel-green eyes shone and his grin widened. "Hey," he waved. "You must be new."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I am," I had to keep a straight face. The redhead kept smiling but when he faced the note on the door, he frowned. "Damn," he snapped his fingers. He faced his friend and yelled to them, "Upstairs, guys. Prof switched rooms."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I told you he would," said the guy with the glasses. The ginger raised his hands in defeat but still cracked a smirk. "At least we found this guy," he gestured his hands to me. "If we didn't think to check this room, this guy would be late than we already were."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Yeah, yeah shut up, Michael." The other two faced me and studied me from head to toe. Superman said, "You were really lucky. This campus is huge."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "That's what she said," the guy named Michael snorted. He got a smack on the back of his head by the other guy. Michael then whined, "You're so mean, Xavier."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "And you're being an idiot."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "What do you mean? He always is."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        I felt inept. I'm standing in the middle of a playful conversation of strangers I just met and they didn't really mind me there. Or how late we were.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Hey," I spoke up. "Aren't we supposed to get to class?" The three of them stared at each other then realized it with a start. Some of them cursed and then we ran to the Music Room.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Fortunately, we reached class before the professor arrived. The place was huge and I think we were more than fifty students here. We were going to be seated on the floor and our bags were piled onto each other at the back. But what's enticing are the instruments in front of us. I was tempted to grab a guitar and run but the professor finally entered the room. Before I could look around for a place to sit, someone already grabbed my hand and pulled me down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Sorry," said Clark Kent. "I didn't get to introduce myself. I'm Nicholas Taylor but call me Nick."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I'm Perseus Moore," we held out each other's hand and shook it. Behind Nick, Michael's head pooped out and he beamed. "I'm Michael Johnathan Carter. Most people call me Michael or Mike. You pick. I don't care." We shook hands and I faced their other friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I'm Xavier Hernandez," he said politely. "It's nice to meet you, Perseus."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Yeah," I try to smile. They seem nice, I thought. We started talking in our small circle and then Nick asked, "Do you play any instruments?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I play guitar," I replied. Michael's grin got even wider if that was possible and then he scooted near me. "What songs can you play?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Erm," I moved a bit farther from him but I was saved when the professor got our attention. He's a guy that looked like he was supposed to go to a rock concert but got lost and ended up in a classroom full of teenagers. Instead of the usual teachers' uniform, he wore this black band shirt of Korn, has a few piercings on his lips and eyebrow and tattoos on his arms. "Good morning, class," he greeted. I thought we would respond with the habitual bland greeting but the place roared with excitement. Everyone was just yelling at the top of their lungs so the teacher had to silence us. "After a summer break, you all are still very loud."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "We love you, Sir Ramirez!" Michael yelled and it just ignited another round of cheers. Again, we were silenced but I'm surprised one finger from the teacher made everyone quiet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I am also glad to see you all again. Most of you have moved up which is great," Sir Ramirez congratulated us. "I was also informed that we have a new student joining us. Where is he?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        I just sat there, not planning to do anything for anyone to catch my attention but Michael grabbed my arm and raised it for me. Quickly, I yanked it away and glared at him. "Thank you, Michael. Now, please come up front." The first thing I thought was, </span>
  <em>
    <span>What is this</span>
  </em>
  <span>?</span>
  <em>
    <span> Grade school</span>
  </em>
  <span>? But I obeyed and walked over to his side. "Introduce yourself."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Hi," I started, I could feel my palms starting to sweat. "I'm Perseus Moore."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Do you play any instruments, Perseus, or are you just here to learn a thing or two?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I can play."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Awesome," Sir Ramirez clapped his hands. Everyone started muttering to themselves and I didn't like it at first until the prof asked, "What instrument do you play?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Guitar, sir."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        He smiled and walked over to the corner where the pile of goodies are and picked up a maroon Gibson SG then handed it over. My eyes widened at the guitar and I looked up at him for confirmation. "Give us a show, Perseus." He signaled me to start and with barely any practice, I played </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thunderstruck</span>
  </em>
  <span> by AC/DC. The students went wild and I think everyone on this floor, and possibly the one under and the one above us, could hear them singing the song.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Sir Ramirez raised his hand to stop me in the middle of the song and I did. Everyone had this look on their faces which I can't comprehend and my heart was pounding against my ribs. "So," the professor starts. There wasn't that much emotion shown on his face and I wasn't comfortable with that. "I can't tell you how much I'm impressed."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You are?" I asked. "I mean, thank you, sir."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Of course I am. It's been a while since I've seen someone with this much grit and how much the whole class enjoyed it." Then everyone started screaming like their favorite basketball team won. Makes me wonder how their voices haven't cracked yet. I would never last that long. When they settled, Sir Ramirez clapped his hands and everyone joined him. With an awkward smile and my pulse beating in my throat, I bowed. Nick and the others clapped and they were joined by the whole class. When I got back to my seat, class started and at that point, I feel that this is going so well so far.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After three classes, it was finally our Lunch Break. I hated the other classes since the teachers after Conservatory were snobby, nosy, and irritating as hell. They lose their cool easily. I'm only grateful that Nick, Michael, and Xavier will be in the same classes as me since they're the only people I know.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        While we were walking to the cafeteria, Nick said, "You were great back there."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Thanks," I tried to sound more confident than I am.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Wanna join our band?" Nick smiled. "We're missing a lead guitarist. And you don't seem to be part of anything yet."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You're recruiting me?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Of course," Michael placed his hand on my shoulder. "We've been talking about it. You in? Please say you are."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Stop that, Michael," Xavier spoke up. "You know we have to talk to Morpheus first about this."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Who?" I turned to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "He's our band leader and frontman," Nick replied. "The guy's awesome and super chill. He would love to meet you. But we need to know if you want to join us as well or otherwise, he'd think that we forced you to." Then I heard Michael comment, "What is this? A cult?" Xavier flicked his fingers in the middle of his friend's forehead and it made a sound that I know it's painful. Watching them alone, being whoever they are, saying whatever they want and their closeness to each other makes me think about their offer. I faced Nick who had an expectant look on his face. "I'm in."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>We reached the school covered court if you pass by the cafeteria. I'm telling you now that this is the only place that's pleasant in the whole school. Instead of seeing trash littered everywhere, the place was clean and there were trees aligned on the side of the court. Under one of the trees, there was this blond holding a guitar. Michael ran to him and gave him a tackle-hug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "What the hell, Michael?" The blond exclaimed as the other just laughed out loud. They sat up again and the redhead tugged on the blond's sleeve. "We found a lead guitarist, Morph."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Hi?" I waved. The Morpheus guy studied me with his sky blue eyes and frowned a bit. He stood up and I realized he's way taller than Nick. He circled me, like a lion studying its helpless prey. Morpheus turned to his bandmates and asked why I should be in the band. They explained it to him with enthusiasm while I just stood there not even getting why he's asking them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "So," the tall blond turned to me. "I see that you got yourself some fans now." Looking over his shoulder, Nick and Michael had huge grins on their faces, excitedly waving their hands while Xavier is also smiling but not like the other two. My eyes went back to Morpheus and I raised my shoulders. "I never meant to. They just asked me to play."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Can you perform in front of something bigger than a bunch of students in one room?"</span>
</p>
<p><span>        I could've answered him with an eager 'Yes' but in the pit of my stomach, my anxiety starts to grow. Morpheus patiently waited for my answer while I thought, </span><em><span>A bigger crowd</span></em><span>? </span><em><span>That would be awesome</span></em> <em><span>but if I'm not good enough… Then what</span></em><span>? I mentally slapped myself in the face. I looked up to him and said, "Even if it doesn't take me anywhere, I can."</span></p>
<p>
  <span>        Morpheus gave that a thought which lasted longer than I wanted to. My friends had their fingers crossed and I quietly hoped I would get accepted. Morpheus' lips slowly curled into a smile and happily said, "You're in." Then they started clapping their hands. Michael locked his arm around my neck and yelled, "Finally! Someone decent enough to play for our band." That comment got him a smack on the head and he just laughed it off. Xavier ruffled my curly hair and spread his arms out. "Welcome aboard </span>
  <em>
    <span>Erebos</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Erebos?" I raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Oh, yeah," Nick said. "A friend named the band. She said that it's the name of the primordial darkness in Greek mythology or something like that."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Just then, their faces lightened up. I followed wherever they were looking at and found something I wasn't expecting. Walking towards us was a girl with straight hair as dark as midnight, autumn tanned skin and she has a gray jacket wrapped around her waist since the school uniform for girls has short skirts. Michael ran over to her and held his hand out for a high-five. "Hey, Babycakes!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Babycakes?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        She scowled and pointed a finger at him. "How many times do I have to tell you to </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>call me that."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Oh, I'm sorry," Michael tries to imitate her British accent. "Did I touch a nerve?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You always do." She crossed her arms and her eyes found me. I flinched, probably because I've been staring at her, looking stupid, and I got caught. Nick saved me though. He placed a hand on my shoulder and told the girl, "I'd like to introduce you to our new lead guitarist, Perseus Moore!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Perseus?" She raised an eyebrow. She studied me from head to toe and as I watched her, I noticed her eyes were gray. They remind me of fierce storm clouds or bones when reduced to ash. My heart started thundering against my chest when her eyes met my golden brown ones. She then looked up at my hair and asked, "Is that natural or are you just looking for attention?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "What?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Your hair. And your eyes? You're not wearing contacts, are you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I could say the same to you," I commented. A shadow of irritation passed over her face and then I realized my mistake. Morpheus cleared his throat and got her attention. "You're not going to tear his face off, are you, Kass?" Xavier spoke up. She faced him and cracked a smirk, leaving me wanting to melt into a puddle for some reason. "I don't have a reason to," she faced me and held out her hand. "I'm Kassandra Cyrillus. It's a pleasure to meet you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        I shook her hand. "I could say the same thing."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Not when you really know what you're talking to," I heard her mutter. That took me aback. What is she talking about? I faced Nick who looked somehow nervous when she said that and when I look back to Kassandra, she still has the same expression except I recognize the look on her face. Like, she had the face of someone who got away with murder which is stupid because that's impossible. Or was it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Now, now, Kassandra," Michael interrupted my train of thought. "Stop scaring away the new guy." She gave him a look which made the guy raise his hands in defeat and then she faced me. "You all have the same subjects later on, right?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Yeah," we replied in unison. She didn't give any reaction but handed Morph a bag. "I'll see you all later then," she looks over her shoulder a bit and walks away. When she was finally out of our sight, I turned to my bandmates who were looking at the bag. When they opened it, it was filled with snacks and a big pack of potato chips. They all had an evil grin on their faces and they closed the bag again. "It's cool how she could smuggle some junk food here in school."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "She must've paid the school guard to let her in," Nick joked. My eyebrows arched. The image of Kassandra burned in the back of my mind and I can't help notice how she looked so innocently malevolent. Two words I never thought would fit together. Morpheus saw how confused I was and placed his hand on my shoulder. "You look lost."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "I don't understand how things go around here," I said with genuine honesty. "Is it just me or is Kassandra plotting something evil?" They looked at each other which is concerning for me like it's a tough subject they don't want to tackle. "Did I say something wrong?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Nick snaked his arm around my shoulder. "Nah, dude. It's just that, Kassandra has this reputation here at school, so it tends to make her judge and mistrust people she meets at first glance. Be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little </span>
  </em>
  <span>patient with her. She's actually a great person to be with," he smiled. With that, the school bell rings for our upcoming classes. We walked to our classroom and went on with our day.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, school was about to end. I just had to end this last class: Literature. My bandmates were left behind since they said they needed to talk to our Math teacher. When I reached the door of the classroom, I expected a bunch of students sticking their noses in books but instead, I found most of my classmates were off their seats, just being chaotic as usual.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "You'll get used to it," said a familiar voice behind me. When I turned around, I found Kassandra. She had a black backpack slung on one shoulder and the strap had a metal pin of a badly drawn smiley face with X's for eyes and it had its tongue stuck out, the logo of the rock band Nirvana. "Nice pin," I complimented. "Somehow matches your personality."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Don't flatter me, Perseus," her voice, laced with bitter sarcasm. "And if you want small-talk, I suggest we go inside and sit down. Unless you want to block the door, I'm not joining you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        I stepped aside and let her in first and muttered, "Sorry." Following her to the back of the classroom, I sat on the vacant chair beside her. There were more vacant seats other than this but I just felt like I needed to sit next to somebody I at least know if I get called. Now and then, I would steal glances of her just to see her doodling on her notebook. Well, I just think she's doodling. The first thing that caught my attention was that she's writing in Greek? Second thing I noticed were the symbols </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aδης</span>
  </em>
  <span>. What do they mean? Like I know. I wanted to ask her but everyone started to make a commotion when Michael entered the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Kassandra let out a soft laugh when she saw her friend being flirty with the girls who were head over heels for him. "Always a tosser," she muttered and closed her notebook. "Then these girls would fall for every banter. Can you believe that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        I realized she was talking to me so I answered, "Er, yeah. They're being a little too extra."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Michael's always extra," she shrugs. I then noticed her lips were curled up into a small smile and I kind of felt good about that. She looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "What?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Nothing," I looked in the other direction. When they were seated, the professor entered the room. He's a pudgy man with a scowl on his face and has more hair on his chin than on his hair. I could hear a lot of the students around us snickering and then they all busted out laughing when the teacher sat on his seat. Confused, he tries standing up and then realizes the problem. "You insufferable brats!" He yelled at us. When he tried to walk out of his desk, everyone was laughing except for me and Kassandra since the chair was stuck to the man's rear-end. I mean, it's literally glued to his butt. Honestly, it's an old trick in the book but I think getting someone to do it right in front of you makes it funny. He started yelling things I don't think would get him a promotion. Or probably let him keep his job. Nonetheless, we continued class while the professor was seated, and ever so often, you will hear giggles when he tries standing up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Now," he pats a stack of papers on his desk. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>This </span>
  </em>
  <span>will be your homework for two weeks. Read it carefully and I don't want anyone submitting anything stupid, understood?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Everyone jeered and groaned. Kassandra and I stayed silent. I glanced at her and found her reading a book under her desk. As the papers were being distributed, the professor said, "You all will be partnered" —everyone cheered— "by the person beside you." The excitement died and it just made him smile smugly. The school bell rang for dismissal and everyone quickly raced to the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        "Wait," I looked at Kassandra. "Who am I partnered with?" We stared at each other. It seemed like time suddenly stopped for some reason. Our eyes locked and I don't know how, but I could see this shadow behind her gray orbs. What could it be? A weird gut-feeling tells me that this person in front of me was someone… someone who you shouldn't get on their bad side or you're screwed. Kassandra smiled and answered, "I guess you're stuck with me, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Phrixus</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
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